Practical Tips for Productive Living

How To Live a Life of High Adventure

This guest post was written by Robin Krieglstein, founder of GoalTribe.

I know a little something about living an adventurous life. I’ve hot air ballooned Kathmandu, glacier trekked Patagonia, gone paragliding in the Andes, slept in a snow-shelter at the top of the Rocky Mountains, scuba-dived in the tropics, camel trekked the Sahara, rock-climbed in Thailand and been on an African safari. Oh, and I’ve been sky diving, cliff diving, rafting on Class V white water, and I was even swept over a waterfall once.

Huff, huff… You thought I was finished, didn’t you? 😉

I’ve also visited 20% of the world’s countries and circled the globe twice. I’ve explored ancient castles, palaces, temples, tombs, catacombs and labyrinths. I’ve stayed in 5 star hotels, caves and dessert caravan tents. I’ve seen the pyramids, Machu Picchu, the Amazon, the African savanna, the Himalayas, the Eiffel Tower, the Acropolis in Athens and the Taj Mahal.

And I have to tell you – it’s been extraordinary. It’s an absolutely amazing, brilliant, beautiful world out there filled with dazzling wonders that are readily available for you to experience. You don’t have to be rich. You don’t have to be exceptional. If you want to experience it all, you just have to make a decision, set some goals, and make it happen.

Here’s how:

Step 1: Discover Your Vista’s of Adventure

First get a clear vision of what the word ‘adventure’ means to you. Take 30 minutes, put on some inspiring music, get excited and write down everything that comes to mind when you think about an adventure. What movies inspire you? Indiana Jones? James Bond? The Bourne Series? What types of adventures appeal to you? Adventurous sports? Travel? The great outdoors? What specific activities sound like a heart-pounding blast? Bungee jumping? Exploring ancient ruins? Heli-skiing (skiing areas you can only get to by helicopter)?

Step 2: Choose 5 Specific Adventure Goals

Life is short! Now is the time to get real. Now is the moment to make a commitment to experience the life adventures you want to experience before you die. Choose 5 adventure goals from your brainstorm that you’re most excited about. Pick one that you will do within 3 months, one that you will do by the end of the year, one within 2 years, one within 3 years and one within 5 years. The first 3-month goal should be exciting, but reasonable, so it’s actually possible to achieve in a short time frame. This one is very important because it will help you build momentum and faith in yourself.

Also, be firm and DECIDE that you WILL give yourself the gift of an adventurous life. Spend an additional 5 minutes writing out why this is important to you, and then write a formal commitment to yourself and hang it where you’ll see it every day.

Step 3: Learn How to Take the First Step

Now take your first 3-month goal and figure out what you need to do to make it a reality. One of the most common reasons people don’t make their life more exciting and adventurous is that they don’t know how to start. But that’s okay – you can learn. Search the Internet, the library, or talk to people who’ve done what you’re planning to do. Ask questions. Make calls. Figure out what steps you need to take. There are companies that arrange everything from local rock-climbing and white-water rafting trips to round-the-world, multi-month adventures. Also, read “25 Ways to Learn How to Do Absolutely Anything” for more ideas.

Step 4: Create a Plan for Your First Adventure

Once you understand the initial steps that are required to embark on your first adventure goal, create a clear plan. Make a detailed list of what actions you need to take and set a date for completing each action so that you’ll be off experiencing this first adventure in exactly 3 months from today.

Step 5: Jump into Action Immediately

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably just read the previous 4 steps without actually doing anything. And guess what? You’re in danger of finishing this article without ever taking action. Here’s how to make sure that doesn’t happen:

Figure out what the logical first step is towards your first adventure goal.

Additional Tips on Living an Adventurous Life

Overcoming your fears is half the fun of adventuring. The adrenalin rush can be exhilarating! And when it passes, and you realize you’re still standing, you feel a great sense of accomplishment. Remember most fears are not real. Fear could stand for: “False Experiences Appearing Real.” Fear is also a great way to get people’s attention and motivate them to do things; so the media, politicians, companies and many other organizations spend a lot of time and money trying to make the world seem like a scary place. It’s not. Even for people living adventurous lives, disaster rarely strikes. That’s why when it does strike it makes the evening news… because it’s rare. Ultimately the secret to fear is: Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Whenever you have a choice of activities to do, pick the one that will make for a better story.

Don’t have the time? Instead of going to see an action movie, take action in your own life. Instead of sitting in front of the TV, sit on a ski lift. Instead of sleeping in your bed, sleep on a bus on the way to the Grand Canyon. Instead of going out to the park, go out rock climbing. Instead of vacationing at Disneyland, vacation in Thailand.

Don’t have the money? International travel is much cheaper than it seems. Just give up a few luxuries and don’t try to keep living exactly the same way you do at home. You will keep costs down and have a much more profound experience if you eat what the locals eat, sleep like the locals sleep and travel like the locals travel. Visit countries that are more affordable than your home country. As for adventure sports, most of them are filled with specialized, expensive gear that you don’t need. You need SOME to be safe, but don’t be fooled into a thousand dollar shopping spree for a weekend camping trip. Rent, borrow or go without. Yes you can!

For additional advice on doing the impossible, I recommend reading (or rereading) Marc and Angel’s excellent post “How to Walk on Water.”

And one last tip from someone who’s been there: As your life unfolds with new excitement, experiences and adventure, you must, must, must keep a journal of your experiences. Also, take thousands of pictures and lock those precious moments into your memory forever. Someday, when you’re sitting with your children or grandchildren, you’ll be so happy you did.

What adventures would you like to conquer? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Robin Krieglstein is the Founder and CEO of GoalTribe, the most advanced goal achievement social network on the planet. GoalTribe offers free, step-by-step guidance to plan your goals, get a support team, build motivation, track your progress and overcome all obstacles. On GoalTribe’s blog, Robin explores life changing ideas colored by stories from his around-the-world travels through 38 countries.

Thanks, Robin, I too seek adventure but I currently am shackled to a specific place for employment… for now. I have traveled to Europe, Central & South America, Africa, safaried, bungee jumped, been chased by several species of monkey and treked mountains, but I always come ‘home’. I have made a plan to change that. Making it a self sustaining life style takes commitment and a solid blue print to model one’s new directions on.
Thanks for your tips, it’s good to read ways to get out and into the world.

Very inspiring post! Makes me want to drop everything and Jump into Action. While some of the tips are very useful, others.. Just like you, I know a little something about living an adventurous life. That’s coming from somebody who traveled to a different country with $ 50 in his pocket,no legal documents and not knowing anybody there. My tip is- DO IT WHILE YOU STILL YOUNG.
Past 30 ? 2 jobs, mortgage and bunch of kids ? Will have to wait till retirement. Unless…

This was a very inspiring post…it makes me want to get up and do something adventurous! I have always wanted to overcome my irrational fear of heights and think that there may be no better way to do this than an extended-freefall skydive. I think the feeling of the adrenaline rush will far outweigh any negative feelings I would experience!

I love this part: Whenever you have a choice of activities to do, pick the one that will make for a better story.

Particularly now that I’m blogging, I have found that I will agree to all sorts of adventures or experiences knowing they will make for a great story to share with my readers. Not that I needed a lot of convincing anyway, but a little added incentive can’t hurt.

Wonderful post on adventurous living! I have to admit that lately I haven’t been living the most adventurous life, but I really think this post will help me to increase the amount of high adventure experiences in my life. I love the way this is written — with a plan of action and additional tips to help us on our way. Great stuff!

What a great post on living an adventurous life. Unfortunately, many of us walk around like zombies to the daily grind of life and can’t find ways out of it to actually LIVE. I love how you have broken down it down into simple steps that anyone (with courage) can do. Fantastic post and blog!

@Robert – Yes, everyone has their own idea of an adventurous life is. I definitely encourage each person to think about what would be fulfilling for them. Meeting new people, or taking a painting class are great adventures for many people and that’s fantastic too!

@Matt – It sounds like you have lived a life of adventure already! Embrace that! Be proud of it. Let yourself relive all the wonderful memories and don’t be down on yourself because you’re currently in a phase of accruing money for the next adventure. Making it a self-sustaining lifestyle is fantastic, but don’t feel that you’re life isn’t adventurous just because you don’t have that yet.

@PAW – Sounds like you’re on the right path! Sometimes you just need a break from your problems so you can come back fresh and inspired to deal with them.

Thanks to everyone for all the fantastic comments! I so glad so many of you felt inspired. I’d love to hear how your journey continues.

And thanks to Marc and Angel for their awesome blog and the opportunity to guest post. You guys rock!

@PaulFrolov – I definitely recommend siezing the opportunities that youth provides, but being older, having kids and a house are NOT excuses for not living your dreams. How does that make your kids feel if they think they’re the reason you stopped living a full life?

I’m not trying to make light of anyone’s responsibilities. But I would argue that taking your kids out traveling and adventuring – showing them how diverse, majestic, and exciting the world is – is a critical part of your parental responsibilities. You just can’t learn enough about life from a classroom in one corner of the globe. I lived traveling for several years through Europe & North Africa with my parents when I was a child and we took many trips and adventures throughout my childhood. Also, while traveling we’ve might “nice, mainstream, middle-class, suburban families” who suddenly decided one day that they’re life wasn’t adding up to much, and they sold their home and took their 2 kids out to see the world for a couple of years. One couple like that we met in Namibia was having the time of their lives! Each kid got to pick 2 countries that they wanted to see on their world trip.

@Jake – great idea! I had a similar fear. Not of heights, really, but of falling. And I overcame it by spending a couple hours jumping off a high-dive board over and over again until it was totally routine. And of course skydiving too. Good plan! Go for it!

@Omar – GREAT! What countries are you going to? What’s your first step? When will you get it done by? Commit to us in the comments so you get some momentum! (You may also want to use my site GoalTribe.com to plan, commit, get support and track your progress!)

Fear plays a big part of the decisions we make. We don’t want to tip our boat over. The thing we forget is how resilient we are. We are strong beings that need to push past our fear and enjoy everything this world has to offer.

I’m having a kid very soon, so I know that traveling will be tough, but I’m putting my adventure plan together this week. Thanks.

I’m not an extreme adventurous person, whatever that means, but I have always wanted to fly in a hot air balloon, kayak, sailboat, scuba dive, visit the Sahara and Savanna’s of Africa. Along with traveling to unique places and learning more, these are my only real adventures.

@Neha – Thanks for being one of my inspirations for an adventurous life. Hope we get to do another adventure together soon!

@Karl – Great points. We just had a baby too, and we’re already dreaming & scheming for his first adventures. Once you have kids, it’s time to get REALLY creative with life and breakdown a lot more of your barriers in life (kids will do a lot of that for you!)

@Renee – Holy cow Renee! Those ARE adventurous things to do! There is no right & wrong to the adventurous life. The whole point is just to live a life that fulfills you. Don’t worry about whether it meets anyone else’s definition of adventurous.

Robin – really cool adventures, sounds like a lifetime of moments and memories. Love you points and the 3 month, 6 month, 1 year, etc plan. My wife and I are working on that as we speak to get going with the adventure already. Very inspiring and on my way to check out GoalTribe now.

hot air ballooning in kathmandu is def on my list of to-dos. recently got back from south india (kerala backwaters are a-mazing) but still have to hit up the north and nepal. so excited!!

you sound like tomb raider 😛

planning a trip to see the animals crossing the sahara next year. super excited. i live in cape town, south africa so isn’t too far.

large scale adventuring is superultracool. but you can also make adventures on the small scale. walk a different way through town and stop at the first place you come across. little things. wrote a whole post on it recently. and about buddhist butchers

However, I’m going the other way – start where you are planted. So, following in the somewhat eccentric footsteps of Xavier de Maistre (1798), I’m planning a “Nocturnal Expedition around my Bedroom”.

No extensive preparation or visas are required – all you need are pyjamas and a candle! I’m not sure how great a story it will make, but who knows what discoveries I shall make there, seeing the familiar world through different eyes as an explorer or adventurer…

I’ll post on my blog about it later this week and let you know how I get on…!

You’re my hero! =D I’ve been looking for a way to expand my adventures abroad. I’ve physically step foot in 48 states and 5 countries so far. I was always told I couldn’t but you really don’t have to have a lot of money. Just a budget. You’re absolutely right about the media making the world out to be scary place.. My next adventure I want to take is a 35 day walkabout in Australia. Safe travels!

WOw!!great tips!! I’m a 14 years old girl and i reallyyyy like adventure! can’t wait to go out of my countrie and discover the world! I’m not from a rich family but i don’t believe such a thing can stop me. Ur life style is really inspiring and i intend to have one similar to it. thxxxx a lot Marc and Angel!!!

I’m well on my way to learning. I’ve been bitten by the “lets go” bug and can’t wait to add more and more to my adventurous history. Some of what I’ve done so far is at http://adventureousliving.blogspot.com. I’m up for ideas

This is just the article I’ve been looking for! I feel that I’ve started to live such a boring life, it’s just work and making the days go by.

I know I won’t be satisfied with my life if I continue doing this for the rest of my life.
I want to experience things, lot’s of stuff, but I have no idea what! So I’ll take your advice and start writing a list of different things that I want to experience. I’m a natures child, not a city chic! I want to experience the wonders of the world. I think that it’s time for me to start looking at what I want to do, where I want to go!

Thank you so much for writing this article, it really inspired me and now I’ll hopefully take the first step to get there! Thank you!

Thanks for taking the time to write this, its so inspiring, I have booked 10 days to India on the golden triangle tour, I have wanted for years to see the Taj and have taken the steps to do it. This is the start of lots of adventures.